Originally Posted by
lhrsfo
I don't know where the OP is based, but if it's in a major city, then such mattes will be easy. I'm not so sure about pushing him / her to New World wines given the list that he / she presented. On the whites, both Muscadet and Pouilly Fume are relatively light and delicate wines. A NZ Sauvignon is also light but far from delicate whereas South American whites are quite different. Perhaps an Orvieto or Pinot Grigio might suit, or indeed an English wine (but that will be too expensive) but not New World wines.
As to the reds, with the possible exception of the Bandol, they are all of a style which is not really replicated outside France and will simply not be obtainable in an average store that sells wine.
If I were the OP and living in the SF Bay Area, I would head to K&L Wines and ask their recommendation - I shop there regularly and can think of several wines they have at the $9.95 level which would absolutely suit the requirements and are quite delicious. And what I'd suggest to the OP is go to the best specialist wine merchant in his or her city and do just that. But avoid big chains / supermarkets / Costco etc. who will only sell mass market swill at high prices.
Costco actually sells a very wide range of stuff at some of the best prices around. IMHO, their selection in locations like the SF Bay Area actually rivals K&L and the Wine Club, and their prices tend to be a dollar or two lower for the same stuff. I'm curious how the exact same wines, when sold at K&L, become "quite delicious", yet they are mass market swill when Costco sells the same bottles? As an example, one of my favorite wines is Chateau Montelena estate cabernet, and another is Dominus. Neither of these cabs would be considered "mass market swill", but Costco sells them for the best prices around. They also sell fine classed-growth Bordeaux, Burgundies, Rhones, Barolos and Barbarescos from producers like Gaja, They also sell many of the best wines one can buy anywhere for $7-15 a bottle, and they have a better selection of value reds from places like Spain and Portugal than K&L does. And they presently have several interesting St. Emilions for sale.
Which is not meant to denigrate K&L, it's a very fine wine retailer. But so is Costco.
And I'm pretty sure that good Cotes du Rhones are sold at Costco, and even most supermarkets.